Improvement in electro-magnetic logs



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Electro-Magnetic Log.

Patented April 7, 1868.

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Electro-Magnetic Log.

Patented April 7, 1868.

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Electro-Magnetic Log.

No. 76,52?. Patented April 7, 1868.v

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W. I. REID, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK..

Letters Patent No. 76,521, dated April 7, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC LOGS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, W. I. REID, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefnl`Electro-Magnetic Log for measuring and recording the travel of vessels through the water, and which may also be used for sounding the depths in water and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings', making part of this specicationLin which- Figure 1 is a side view ofthe log.A

Figure 2, an end view.

Figure 3,'a longitudinal section.

Figure 4, a side view, with the casing removed.

Figure 5, an end view, looking from the end, A, g. 1, showing section ofthe cable.

Figure 6 is a front, and

Figure 7 a side elevation of the registering-instrument.

Figure 8. an elevation ofthe same, with the dial removed.

Figure 9, a vertical section, taken in the plane ofthe line A B of'fig. 8.

Figure I0, a view of the back of the said instrument, with the back ofthe case removed; and

Figure 11, a cross-section, taken in the same plane as iig. 9, but looking from the opposite direction.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures. i

The object of my said invention is to register, on board ship, the travel of vessels, by means of clog, drawn through the water, which apparatus I denominate the electro-magnetic log;" and thy said invention consists in combining with the spindle, which is rotated by passing through the water, a mechanism to close and break an electric.circuit at every given number of revolutions, when combined, by means of an electric conductor, with .an instrument connected with a galvanic battery or equivalent means for generating a cu'lrrent of electricity, and which said instrument is provided with an` electro-magnet and armature to operate the detent of an escapement, and with a registering-mechanism to indicate the number of beats of the escapement.

My said invention may be used, also, for sounding depths in water, as it will be obvious that whether the log be dragged horizontally through the water by a vessel, or vertically by a weight, the distance of its travel will be'equally well registered; the only change necessary for sounding, being either to'reverse the inclination of the vane.; of the log, or'the application' of a sudicient' weight to the forward end where the cable-conductor is attached. i l

In the accompanying drawings, a represents a hub, with oblique vanes, b, such as are usually employed on logs for measuring the travel of vessels through the water.- The spindle c of the hub extends into a case,- d, and is journalled thereto, so as to turn freely, and its inner end is formed with what is termed'a worm-gear or endless screw, e, the threads of which engage the cogs of a wheel,f, on an arbor, g, which drives, by two cog-wheels, z z', another parallel arbor, j, that carries a cam or tappet-wheel, k. At the forward end of the cased there is an insulated electric conductor, Z, and between the inner end of Athis conductor and the bam or tappeewheel k, a metallic lever, m, is mounted in an India-rubber diaphragm, 1t, properly sealed water-tight to a case, o, by preference made of glass, which encloses the inner end of the lever .and the conductor. The elasticity of the diaphragm will be sufficient to bear the lever m against the periphery of the cam or tappetwheel, and its other end away from the conductor Z; but any'equivalent device may be substituted for the India-rubber diaphragm, as the sole purpose is, once in every revolution of the cam or tappet-wheel, to put the lever m in contact with the electric metal of the case, which is to.be in the water, and then to break that' con: nection, for a purpose to be presently described. The nsulator, p, ofthe conductor i, is to be suitably formed,

Vin any well-known mode, so that the conducting wire of the cable q, a part. only being represented, can be secured in contact with the conductor Z, and the cable itself is to vbeflrrnly secured to the instrument by passing vthrough the inside of a conical screw, r, split in three parts, more or less, and connected with the case d by spring-arms s, so that by means of `a conical nut, t, the cable can be rmly grasped or liberated to be disconnected. The other end ofthe cable q is to be secured on shipboard,'and there connected with the registering-instrument V. This registering-instrument 'is providedwith two bitches, u and v, to one of whichthe conducting-wire of the cable' g is to be hitched, and tothe other,'in like manner, a conducting-wire, w, From one ol' the polos ot'vany suitable galvanc battery.

Within the registering-instrument there is an electro-magnet, z, the two vvires, -y and z, of its coil being connected with the cores-of the two bitches, u7u, in any well-known manner.` And in frontof the electromngnet there is an armature, a', attached to a lever, 6', that vibrates on an axis at c. The upper end of this lever, (see (ig. 10,) is provided with two pallets, dand e', which i alternately liberate and stop pinsf, projecting from the face of an escap'ement-wheel, g. When the electric' circuit is broken, and the armature a is drawn away from the electro-magnet, by the tensionoi a spring, igone tooth ot` the escnpcmentwheel g" is permitted to escape from the lower pallet, d4 and stopped by the upper pallet e, and there held so long as the electric circuit continues to be broken; but so soon as the lever m, of the log, is brought into contact with the conductor l, the electric circuit is closed, and the electro-magnetw is thereby rendered magnetic, and the arrnnture a' is attracted, which vibrates the lever Z1' in the opposite direction, so that the upper pallet, e', liberates the pin of the escapemerit-wheel g, which, by the motive force to be presentlydescribcd, is turned until the next pin on its face is arrested by the lower pallet d. i i The escapement-Xvheel is driven by a main-spring, ,ia.nd train of wheels and pinions, just ns in aclock, suitable means being provided, as in a clock, for winding up the mainspring A pointer or hand is placed on the outerend of the'arbor j of a cog-wheel, k', which engages the pinionon the arbor of the escnpement-wheel,

the wheel 'being one of the train of wheels from the main-spring wheel to the escapement-wheel, and this pointer, at each complet-e escapement, indicates, by the divisions on'a dial, l', the number of escapements, and

hence lthe number of revolutions which have been made by the vane-wheel of the log.

The wheel mronthe arbor of the main in(lex'hand communicatesv motion by any of they well-known means to aseries of spindles, 1, 2, 3,14, f5, or any other number, each of the said spindles carrying a pointer,A to indi-- cate, each on a separate circle of divisione on the dial, the number of revolutions; and each division onNo. l indicating one complete revolution ofthe main index-hand; each division of No. 2 one complete revolution of No. 1, andso on to any extent. 4 i A It is tobe understood that the galvanic battery is to have one of 'its poles connected with the coil of' the electro-magnet, and the other with some metallic substance in the water, which completes the electric circuit.

I do not wish, however, to limit my claim oi' invention to the use of the specific arrangement of' dials, or the specific mechanism by which4 the number o f revolutions are registered, as other and equivalent devices may be substituted, but the means represented will answer a good purpose. Nor do I wish to be understood as limiting my claim of invention to the specific mode of closing and breaking the electric circuit, as any equivat lent break may be substituted.

The log, provided with a break for closing and. breaking the electric circuit, substantially as described, in combination with the registering-instrument connected therewith by an electric conductor, the said registeringinstrument being provided with an escapement Aoperated. by an electro-magnet, and with tho means described.

or equivalent means, for registering, all substantially as specified and'for the purposeset forth.

' W. I. REID.

Witnesses:

ANDREW De LACY, WM. H. BISHOP. 

